Morphometrical characterization of isolated rat hepatocytes.
Mononuclear hepatocytes account for 81% of all isolated hepatocytes of adult rats and are 3800 +/- 209 microns3 in volume with a surface of 1191 +/- 44 microns2, while the other 19% are binuclear cells, 4735 +/- 688 microns3 in volume and 1347 +/- 72 microns2 in surface. The plasma membrane contains few microvilli and different amounts of blebs. The organelle-free ectoplasmic zone beneath the plasma membrane is 1-6 microns in width. The cell organelles are centralized around the cell nucleus. The mitochondrial volume density (Vv) is 0.402 +/- 0.028; this is twice as high as that of hepatocytes in situ of adult rats. This result together with an about 50% volume decrease of isolated versus hepatocytes in situ supports the interpretation that unstructured ground plasma in the form of cytopheres is emitted into the surrounding space, probably by shedding of cytoplasmic protrusions, leading to a rise in relative mitochondrial volume levels. To avoid misinterpretation of results obtained from studies directed onto the metabolism of isolated hepatocytes, due consideration should be given to these findings.
David
H
H
Department of Ultrastructural Pathology and Electron Microscopy, Charité Hospital, Humboldt University Berlin, GDR.
Krause
W
W
Behrisch
D
D
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains